XWD to HEIF Converter

Transform XWD graphics into HEIF images with a few clicks

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No Install Required

The entire XWD to HEIF conversion happens in your browser. No plugins, no desktop apps — just upload, convert, and download.

Cross-Platform Access

Whether you are on a desktop, tablet, or phone — convert XWD to HEIF from any device with a modern web browser.

Cloud Conversion

All XWD to HEIF processing runs on Convertio servers — your device stays fast and free while the conversion happens in the cloud.

How to convert XWD to HEIF

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose heif or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your heif file right afterwards

About formats

XWD (X Window Dump) is a screen capture image format defined as part of the X Window System by the MIT X Consortium, dating to approximately 1987. The xwd command-line utility captures the contents of an X window or the entire screen and saves it as an XWD file — functionally equivalent to a screenshot utility but predating the concept by years. XWD files contain a detailed header specifying the X server's visual type, bit depth, byte order, bitmap unit and padding, the window's dimensions, border width, and color map information, followed by the raw pixel data exactly as represented in the X server's framebuffer. This means XWD files faithfully capture the exact pixel representation used by the display hardware — including server-specific byte ordering, padding, and color organization — making them primarily useful on the system where they were captured or on systems with compatible display configurations. The header also stores the window name string and the full color map entries for indexed-color visuals. XWD supports all X11 visual types: StaticGray, GrayScale, StaticColor, PseudoColor, TrueColor, and DirectColor, at any bit depth supported by the X server. One advantage is exact framebuffer fidelity: XWD captures the window's pixel data in its native format without any color space conversion or compression, making it the definitive record of what the X server was actually displaying. The format's integration with the X11 command-line toolkit provides another practical benefit — xwd can capture specific windows by ID or name, be triggered remotely via SSH, and piped directly to format converters. XWD files are handled by ImageMagick, GIMP, xwud (the viewer companion to xwd), and xv.
Developer: MIT X Consortium
Initial release: 1987
HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) is a container format for images and image sequences standardized by the Moving Picture Experts Group as ISO/IEC 23008-12, first published in 2015. HEIF is built on the ISO Base Media File Format (ISOBMFF, the same container used for MP4 video), providing a flexible structure that can hold single images, image collections, image sequences (like animations or bursts), and derived images with non-destructive editing operations. The container is codec-agnostic — while the most common implementation pairs HEIF with HEVC/H.265 compression (branded as HEIC by Apple), the standard also accommodates AV1 compression (creating the AVIF variant), H.266/VVC, and other future codecs. HEIF supports features that JPEG lacks: 10-bit and 12-bit color depth, wide color gamuts (Display P3, BT.2020), lossless compression, alpha transparency, depth maps, thumbnail images, and Exif/XMP metadata — all within a single file. Auxiliary image items can store computational photography data like depth maps, HDR gain maps, and semantic segmentation masks. One advantage is the format's future-proof architecture: by separating the container from the codec, HEIF can adopt newer, more efficient compression technologies without changing the file structure, metadata handling, or application-level APIs. The substantial compression improvement over JPEG is another core strength — HEVC-based HEIF typically achieves 40-50% file size reduction compared to JPEG at the same visual quality, beneficial for storage and bandwidth. HEIF is supported by Apple's ecosystem (iOS, macOS), Windows 10/11, Android 10+, GIMP, ImageMagick, and Adobe products.
Initial release: 2015

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the reason to convert XWD to HEIF?

XWD is a screen capture format from X Window System with limited modern support. Converting to HEIF (next-gen image format with excellent compression ratios) makes your images accessible on any modern platform.

Which software can view HEIF files?

HEIF files can be opened with macOS/iOS natively, Windows with HEIF extension, GIMP, Photoshop. Most of these are available across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

What exactly is the XWD format?

XWD is a screen capture format from X Window System. Originally from Unix/X11 screenshots, it has become a legacy format — conversion is the most practical way to use these images today.

Is XWD to HEIF conversion free?

Yes — Convertio offers free XWD to HEIF conversion. Premium options exist for users who need more capacity or faster processing speeds.

Does converting XWD to HEIF affect quality?

Quality is maintained to the extent HEIF supports. Since XWD is a screen capture format from X Window System, the visual data transfers cleanly to HEIF.